The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for mounting loudspeakers to carriers, such as may be found in automobile interiors, speaker cabinets, buildings, etc.
With reference to FIGS. 1-2, it is often desirable to mount a loudspeaker 10 in, for example, an automobile interior, such as the door 20 of the vehicle. In diaphragm-type loudspeaker manufacture and assembly, a common technique for mounting the loudspeaker 10 to the door (or other structure) is to employ a carrier 30 to receive and provide structural support to a frame of the loudspeaker 10. The loudspeaker 10 may include a plurality of holes 12 around the perimeter of the frame or “basket” and corresponding holes 32 in the carrier 30. Fasteners 14, usually threaded fasteners such as screws or bolts, are inserted through the aligned holes 12 in the speaker frame perimeter and the holes 32 in the carrier to fix the loudspeaker 10 to the carrier 30. Typically, an elastomeric gasket 22 having the same configuration as the perimeter of the frame is positioned between the loudspeaker perimeter and the carrier 30 to seal the two together and to minimize the likelihood of relative movement and other phenomena which might otherwise result in the generation of noise between the frame and carrier.
This common technique requires the stocking of the fasteners 14, the provision of aligned holes in the frame of the loudspeaker 10, the carrier 30 and the elastomeric gasket 22, and the labor involved in assembly of these components with the holes 12, 32 aligned using the fasteners 14. Frequently, this assembly is complicated by the configuration of the space in which the loudspeaker 10 is to be mounted. For example, when the mounting is into the carrier 30 of a vehicle door panel (and door module), the use of fasteners 14 increases the complexity, assembly time and cost, inventory costs, and potential for mechanical failure or tolerance problems.
Other techniques for mounting loudspeakers to carriers are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0247150. U.S. 2004/0247150 discloses in FIGS. 2 and 6 a speaker (1) for a vehicle and an installation structure for enhancing the speaker installation rigidity without impairing the acoustic characteristic of the speaker. The speaker installation structure includes the speaker unit (1) for holding a speaker body (11) and having a plurality of claws (13) and a panel member (3) having an opening (4) and a plurality of slits (5). The claws (13) are inserted into the plurality of slits (5) and the speaker unit (1) is rotated in its circumferential direction. It is believed that the interconnection between the claws (13) and the door inner panel (3), however, is susceptible to disengagement due to vibration.
Accordingly, there are needs in the art for new methods and apparatus for mounting loudspeakers to carriers, which address some or all of these concerns.